A thriller about terrorism, espionage, corruption, love and betrayal, set in the Middle East in the present day. Jackson Dunbar, an ambitious, talented and impetuous television correspondent, is not to know that he will run into friends from an almost-forgotten past. Each one presents him with unexpected and powerful challenges, and the cost is high.

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Review

Fast-paced and absorbing, this novel written in the present tense by a former BBC journalist who really knows his stuff, draws the reader in to the terrifying world of terrorism in today's world from the perspective of a BBC news team on the spot in an Arab capital under attack. The sometimes horrific twists and turns kept me involved right to the end. Hard to put down! It would make a great film. - Amazon review by musiga24, UK "A pacy and plausible thriller. It took me a while to get used to the present tense approach but I soon became absorbed in the plot. A real page turner. I could "see" the characters. It would work well as a movie. - David McNeil, Amazon review. "Very enjoyable. A ripping yarn and I was really surprised by the ending. I also gained a deep understanding of what it was like for a reporter working overseas." - J. A. Stephens, London UK. "The Mortal Maze was part of my holiday reading - and a very good part it was! I particularly enjoyed the frictions and conflicts between the resident members of the BBC's news bureau team and the special correspondent followed by the relief manager who were flown in to work at the bureau. I also very much enjoyed the way the relationships between the members of the bureau team itself were portrayed. As well as these, I found Ian Richardson's storylines were most compelling... though some were more than a little sad." - Amazon review by Peter Udell, London. "A labyrinthine tale with a blinder of an ending. Heart stopping stuff. I am glad you didn't tell me how it ended before I began reviewing it." - Jan Woolf, editor, London. "Fabulous - especially after the first chapter, when I found it impossible to put down. I continued reading well into the night, always thinking to ' bookmark at the next page', but no, I read it to the end! A fascinating novel with an unusual and interesting series of plots that could only be authored by someone with a deep journalistic experience of the subject matter." - John Mole, North Ringwood, Melbourne. "The story line had me hooked in the first chapter and then I didn't want to put it down until I had finished the book. A very informative read albeit rather sad on several fronts." - Mrs C. A. Hall, Amazon review UK "The hero -- a dishevelled BBC TV correspondent with a gambling habit -- finds himself getting drawn into the murky territory between journalism and espionage when an old school friend turned terrorist and old college friend turned diplomat both turn up in the fictional Arabian country where he is posted. Moral dilemmas and lots of violent action-- just the thing for holiday reading. - Amazon review by Elizabeth Blunt, London. "Excellent thriller: rattling good yarn. Works on several levels; critique of hypocritical foreign policy, skewering of BBC bureaucracy, portrait of Middle Eastern country, deft characterisation." - Amazon review by Stephen Jessel, Paris.

About the Author

Australian-born Ian Richardson has loved writing for as long as he can remember -- perhaps even before that -- and he wrote his first letters and stories as soon as he learned to tap away at his father's typewriter when aged just six years old. He was also born to be curious. His mother recalls that on his first day at school he wandered into the headmaster's office to look around and to ask what he did all day. Ian grew up into a newspaper family in rural Australia, but after the family business was sold, he switched to broadcast journalism -- first in Bendigo and Melbourne, Australia, then in London with BBC radio and television. His senior BBC posts included head of World Service foreign correspondents, a founding editor of BBC World Television, and the founding managing-editor of BBC Arabic Television. This experience left him ideally placed to write his authentic thriller, The Mortal Maze.

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The Mortal Maze is entertaining, fast paced with well drawn believable characters, and is well worth a few hours of anyone's time. In fact, it's something of a page turner and difficult to put down; I read it in two sittings. Written by an author not unfamiliar with the troubles and tribulations of TV journalism in foreign lands, it has a genuine feel for the sometimes problematic relationships between journalists and diplomats as well as the demands of the editors back home and the realities on the ground. I had to smile at the groans from the journalist 'hero' and his irrepressible cameraman when HQ in London sends in the self important 'heavyweight' as the story develops in significance. I look forward to a follow up.

The author brings his Australian cultural background and his professional life as a journalist into this brilliant read. The characters may be recognisable as a type within the broadcasting world - but these characters are everywhere - you don't need to know the BBC to recognise the workers, the grafters, the smooth talking bastards, the egotists, the ones who think that their job is more important than anyone else's, even if they know less than others! Once I started reading this book on holiday, I just didn't want to stop. I had no idea where the book was going and how it would end. I certainly didn't expect it to end like it did. Mr. Richardson had me hooked. No spoilers - just to say the characters were fleshed out beautifully. The gambling problem and the demanding mother added nice touches to the torment being gone through by the main character. And yes, as someone has already said, it would make a great film.

The hero -- a disheveled BBC TV correspondent with a gambling habit -- finds himself getting drawn into the murky territory between journalism and espionage when an old school friend turned terrorist and and old college friend turned diplomat both turn up in the fictional Arabian country where he is posted. Moral dilemmas and lots of violent action -- just the thing for holiday reading.

Fast moving and thoroughly enjoyable. An excellent insight into the way news works, some of the unpleasant people who work in it and the strong professional rivalries. Plausible plot - who are the Government spooks in the broadcast organisations? I was so hooked that I got through the last 20 minutes according to Kindle in 12 minutes because I wanted to find out what happened.

The writing is strictly functional but who cares, this is an action thriller and the action comes thick and fast from first to last - in the form of bombings, ambushes, kidnaps and all the usual kinds of jihadist hanky-panky. We don’t have much time to care about the characters because the next terrorist outrage is just around the corner and it's anybody's guess who’ll step out alive. The protagonist is a flawed maverick of a journalist facing up to his demons in a fictitious Arab country but he doesn’t blog, tweet or post insights on facebook so the tradecraft of broadcast news evoked in 'The Mortal Maze' feels somewhat Twentieth Century. It’s a page turner alright, but some readers may be tempted to fast-forward once they’ve picked up the pace.

A well-plotted novel packed with incident and featuring sharply drawn relationships between some convincing characters, this lively and topical thriller fairly zips along from the start, gathering pace until the dramatic finale. The author makes the most of his journalistic background without overdoing the use of an insider's knowledge of technical detail and jargon.

A terrific fast-paced read! I was well and truly hooked from the start. I loved the feisty characters and loved loathing one or two of the BBC high-ups. A great insight into what goes on behind the news in dangerous territory. I recommend.